Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Snake River, Yukon, Canada Kopka River, Ontario Point Lake, Nunavut, Canada I am often asked this question: “We’re planning a wilderness canoe trip and want to be prepared with the best equipment. I hear there’s a great new trail stove (tent, rain parka, canoe pack etc.) on the market that is absolutely terrific. It was […]
Newcomers to camping are often put off by the all the things they “think they need” to have a good time. Frankly, you can get by with very little, if you are a skilled camper. Witness the tales of mountain men like Jim Bridger and Kit Carson who traveled desolate country for weeks at a […]
My favorite trail stove is the long defunct Optimus 111B. Known for its power, simplicity and reliability, the B still retains a strong following. One of my favorite B’s is over 50 years old and though it’s been hammered to death on scores of northern trips, it still runs fine. I can’t say the same […]
Littlbug Stove TREK STOV Most of today’s self-propelled campers rely on liquid-fueled (propane, butane, gasoline, alcohol) stoves for all their cooking. But there’s a hard-core minority who prefer the lightweight and reliability of wood. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of wood-burning trail stoves. This said, I almost always bring one on my canoeing and […]
My first job after college was as a forester for the Bureau of Land Management in Coos Bay, Oregon. One rainy January morning I was re-marking the cutting line that defined the area of a timber sale. It was Thursday and I had Friday off and big plans for the weekend, so I hurried to […]
Sometimes a product comes along that’s done “just right.” The new Exped 30/40/50 series Torrent dry packs are one of them. The number (30, 40, 50) indicates the volume in liters. The 30 liter model I received for review is ideal for day trips or go-light over-nights. At first look, this pack appear to be […]
Newcomers to camping are often put off by the all the things they “think they need” to have a good time. Frankly, you can get by with very little, especially if you are an expert and know what you’re doing. Witness the tales of mountain men like Jim Bridger and Kit Carson who traveled desolate […]
Quick! You’re going on a wilderness trip. What tool do you value most? If you said “a good sharp knife”, you’re in agreement with the experts. Most people use a mechanical device of some sort to sharpen their knives. This is fine as long as “moderately sharp” is good enough and you have space to […]
Above Knives: (Top/left to right): Grohmann #1 flat-ground carbon steel “Camper,” Gerber Shorty, Victorinox large Swiss Army Knife, Forschner #40614, Carbon steel Mora Kniv, Inexpensive carbon steel paring knife, Idaho Knife Works “Cliff Knife.” All are good bush knives. Many articles that have attempted to define the perfect “bush knife”—that is, the best one to […]